Nice job on that no-hitter, Johan Santana. 8,020 games is a long time for a team to wait for one of those.

***

Felipe Paulino tossed six shutout innings Friday night, Edinson Volquez was solid despite walking five batters on Saturday, and Michael Fiers didn't quite get it done for us on Sunday. With the streaming starter record at 38-23 for the season, today's pick is Dillon Gee (owned in 5.5 percent of FOXSports.com leagues) against the Cardinals, who have scored a total of one run in their last three games against the Mets. Tuesday's selection is Cincinnati's Homer Bailey (9.1 percent owned), who has whiffed 18 batters against three walks in 21 1/3 innings over his last three starts, and faces the weak-hitting Pirates. The Cardinals-Mets game is at 1:10 p.m. ET, so set your lineups early.

On to the news:

Mariners' ace Felix Hernandez was still feeling tightness in his back Sunday after slipping on the mound last Friday, and might not make his scheduled Wednesday start against the Angels. One M's beat writer thinks Hernandez should be placed on the DL to be safe. We should know more later today or tomorrow, but if you're setting a weekly lineup, benching King Felix is the smart move.

OF Ryan Braun (Achilles) and 3B Aramis Ramirez (quad) were both out of the Brewers' lineup on Sunday, but they're hoping to be back on Tuesday. Braun made a pinch-hitting appearance, which is a good sign.

The Giants are hoping to get 3B Pablo Sandoval back from the DL on Friday. Sandoval might be in some legal trouble based on his activities over the weekend, but it shouldn't affect his playing status.

Vance Worley will come off the DL to pitch tonight for the Phillies. Worley will reportedly pitch with bone chips in his elbow, and while I'm no doctor, this doesn't sound good. He'll reportedly be on a pitch count tonight.

Dustin Pedroia (thumb) expects to return to the Red Sox lineup on Tuesday. Is anyone else worried that after all the efforts to keep him off the DL, he's just going to end up there, anyway?

Ernesto Frieri saved games on Friday and Saturday for the Angels getting five of his seven outs on strikeouts. It certainly looks like he's the closer.

Blue Jays 1B/DH Edwin Encarnacion is day-to-day with a bruised hand.

Rays OF Desmond Jennings is expected to come off the DL in time for Tuesday's series opener against the Yankees.

The Mets hope to get SS Ruben Tejada back from the DL on Friday.

The Rockies placed SP Juan Nicasio on the DL with a knee strain. It's a good thing Jorge De La Rosa's rehab is ... oops, scratch that.

The Daniel Bard starting experiment isn't going so well. After Sunday's miserable outing, Bard has a 5.24 ERA with 34 strikeouts against 37 walks in 55 innings. If Bard keeps pitching like this, he should consider changing his name to "Ubaldo."

Chris Sale had another terrific start on Sunday. He's the real deal, as long as his arm doesn't fall off.

Royals 1B Eric Hosmer has a six-game hitting streak that has featured a couple of homers. Is this the breakout? Maybe? Finally?

From 2008-11, Dodgers C A.J. Ellis hit eight home runs in 1,008 at bats between the minors and majors. This season, he has six in 143 at bats, along with a .934 OPS. This is a great story, but don't expect it to continue at this pace.

Here's a Sunday tweet from Arizona Republic D-backs' beat writer Nick Piecoro: "Gerardo Parra asked an old lady near Dbacks dugout to touch his bat. If he got a hit, he'd give it to her. He homered. And gave her the bat." Fantastic.

The Tigers have placed OF Andy Dirks on the DL with an Achillies injury. With the Tigers depleted by injuries, Don Kelly could get some quality outfield time over the next week or two. Kelly isn't much of a hitter, but still could be worth an AL-only add.

After getting skipped last time through the rotation, Jaime Garcia is expected to start on Tuesday for the Cardinals.

Twins C Joe Mauer is day-to-day with a sprained right thumb. It doesn't sound serious.

Matt LaPorta is now part of the Indians' 1B/DH rotation. LaPorta had 14 homers in Triple A before his weekend promotion, but he has always been a disappointment in the majors. He might be worth an AL-only add, but that's it.

The Astros have called up OF Fernando Martinez, and will give him most of the starts in right field at the expense of Brian Bogusevic. It seems like Martinez has been a prospect forever, but he's only 23, and was batting .319 with eight homers, 38 RBI, 32 runs and a .906 OPS before his promotion. He should be scooped up in NL-only leagues if still available.

Carlos Marmol hasn't regained the Cubs' closer job yet, but I still think it's coming. He's only walked TWO batters in three innings since coming off the DL, and both were in the same outing. That's progress!

Adam Jones' right wrist has been bothering him for awhile, and he's going to have an MRI today (the O's are off). If you own Jones, keep him in the lineup until you hear worse news than this.

This week's edition of Free Agent Frenzy is ready for your review. Please read it if you want me to have a good Monday.

Do you own Bud Norris? If so, last night's start probably ruined your whole week.

***

We didn't make a streaming starter pick yesterday, so the weekend begins with a 36-22 record for the season. Let's go with Felipe Paulino (owned in 13.9 percent of FOXSports.com leagues) today against the A's, Edinson Volquez (7.9 percent owned) on Saturday against the D-backs, and Milwaukee's Michael Fiers (0.1 percent owned) on Sunday versus the weak-hitting Pirates. This job was a lot easier a few weeks ago, when people hadn't caught on to R.A. Dickey and James McDonald. Oh, well.

On to the news:

Michael Morse played his third minor-league rehab game on Thursday, and might be activated in time for tonight's game. Sure, this is still speculation, but the Nats could use Morse's bat, and so could you if you drafted him a couple of months ago with the expectation that he'd hit 30 home runs. Watch today's news to see if Morse gets the call. I'd feel OK about activating him right away if we find out he's in the lineup.

As feared, Rockies SS Troy Tulowitzki has been placed on the DL due to a groin injury. Last night's Rox' lineup featured Marco Scutaro at shortstop, and DJ Lemahieu at second base, but figure that Chris Nelson and speedy Eric Young might also get time at the keystone. Unfortunately, you probably can't count on one of them to produce much.

The Dodgers called up prospect Alex Castellanos to take the roster spot of Matt Kemp, who is expected to miss a month with his hamstring injury. Castellanos was batting .361 with four homers, seven stolen bases and a 1.176 OPS at Triple A before his callup, but A) everybody hits at Albuquerque, B) at age 26, he's not a blue-chip prospect, and C) Don Mattingly said Thursday that "I can't promise he's going to come and get a long look. Temper your expectations for Castellanos before getting blinded by his eye-popping stats.

Orioles OF Nick Markakis is expected to miss 3-4 weeks due a broken hamate bone in his right wrist. Markakis will have surgery today, and there are no guarantees that he'll be immediately effective upon his return. The O's are thin in the outfield right now, so they'll probably move Wilson Betemit out there for awhile. Prospect Xavier Avery tweeted last night that he flew back to Norfolk with his Triple-A team, so the O's haven't called him up yet.

Brewers OF Ryan Braun rested his sore Achilles on Thursday, but it sounds like he'll play tonight.

Tigers' catcher Alex Avila left Thursday's game after taking a foul ball off the mask, but he's fine and should be back in the lineup on Saturday.

This article from the Yankees' website suggests that Rafael Soriano has a good chance to keep the closer's job when David Robertson comes off the DL, probably in mid-to-late June.

Manny Ramirez was scratched from a Triple-A game on Thursday, and there's no update on when the A's expect to recall him. Yoenis Cespedes should be back in the lineup tonight.

Speaking of old DHs in the minors, Vladimir Guerrero hit two homers on Thursday, and now has four in four games for Class A Dunedin. He'll be with the Blue Jays soon if he keeps this up, but if rookie David Cooper hits he'll stake his claim to an everyday job before Vlad arrives.

Rays OF Desmond Jennings hit a double and scored a run in a Class A rehab game on Thursday, and is expected to be in the Durham Bulls' lineup tonight, according to the Rays' website. Barring any setbacks, he'll be back in a few days.

The Cardinals appear ready to activate 1B/OF Allen Craig from the DL today.

The Mariners have recalled RP Stephen Pryor, which is newsworthy because he's their probable closer of the future, if not the present. Pryor, 22, throws triple-digit heat, and had 39 strikeouts against 12 walks with a 0.64 ERA between Double A and Triple A before his callup. Watch him.

Padres' closer Huston Street is tracking toward a return from the DL next week.

It still seems likely that Vance Worley will come off the DL to take Roy Halladay's rotation slot for the Phillies on Monday. Also in the linked Phillies.com article is a quote from GM Ruben Amaro Jr. about not expecting 1B Ryan Howard to return in June.

The Rangers allowed 21 runs last night. To the Mariners. That's like giving up 100 against a real lineup, right?

***

Dillon Gee's solid effort raised our streaming starter record to 36-22 for the season. We're going to take today off, as the three-game schedule includes five good, widely owned starters along with the terrible Jeremy Guthrie. Friday's selection is Felipe Paulino (owned in 10.3 percent of FOXSports.com leagues) against the A's.

On to the news:

Dodgers OF Matt Kemp left last night's game after re-injuring his left hamstring, and will have an MRI today. A trip to the DL is a near-certainty, and Kemp thinks he'll miss a month. If you own Kemp, get your replacement immediately. The red-hot Dexter Fowler is owned in just 40.5 percent of FOXSports.com leagues, while further down the totem pole are Alex Rios (15.7 percent owned) and Colby Rasmus (4.8 percent owned). There are also plenty of speed demon types widely available, if that interests you. Rajai Davis (2.1 percent owned) has an everyday job, at least for a little while.

Rockies SS Troy Tulowitzki suffered a strained groin during last night's game, and might be headed for the DL. We should know more today. Check out Elliot Johnson's (2.5 percent owned) numbers if you need a Tulo replacement, especially in deeper leagues.

Dustin Pedroia's strategy to avoid the DL includes waiting for the swelling in his thumb to go down before trying to hit with a protective brace. He might still be disabled, but we probably won't know for a couple of days.

Tigers SP Doug Fister is headed back to the DL with a strained left side.

Blue Jays SP Brandon Morrow took a nasty line drive off his right shin last night (video here), but X-rays were negative and he's listed as day-to-day. Morrow's next start is scheduled for Wednesday, so we'll need to wait and see on his availability.

The Indians have pushed Ubaldo Jimenez's next start from Saturday to Tuesday. They should have pushed it to December or January so we wouldn't have to see him again this season. Have I mentioned how horrible he is?

Braves 1B Freddie Freeman finally got his new goggles yesterday. His first day of adjusting to them produced three hits with a homer, along with three RBI and two runs scored. I need to get a pair of those things to help my peripheral blogging vision.

Back to Dexter Fowler: I expected a nice season from him, but not with all the production in one week. After last night's game, Fowler is 10-for-15 with three home runs, seven RBI and eight runs scored over his last four games.

Diamondbacks closer J.J. Putz was unavailable last night due to a stiff neck, which is why David Hernandez got a four-out save. Don't read anything else into this.

The Braves are making a change at shortstop, replacing rookie Tyler Pastornicky with prospect/gloveman Andrelton Simmons. The 22-year-old Simmons was batting .292 with three homers, 10 stolen bases and a .794 OPS before his promotion, but this is a big jump for him, so don't expect much offense other than maybe a steal per week. He's apparently amazing to watch in the field, though.

This article suggests that Cubs 1B prospect Anthony Rizzo will get called up in late June. Unless they plan to DH Reed Johnson or Tony Campana against the Twins at Target Field from June 8-10, I still think we might see Rizzo then.

Check out this story about Aroldis Chapman's Pittsburgh hotel room getting robbed on Tuesday. I don't know the details, but is trouble starting to follow this guy around? If he continues to strike out everyone, do you care?

Listen to me, and listen good: Francisco Liriano's six shutout innings and nine strikeouts against the A's on Wednesday were just another part of his devious plot to suck you into his neverending web of fantasy disappointment. Just. Say. No.

Do the Mets have any healthy shortstops left? Maybe, but none that you should pick up.

Yoenis Cespedes' anticipated Friday return is a bigger deal for the A's than the upcoming decision on Manny Ramirez, who went oh-for-four with three whiffs in his Triple-A game on Wednesday. There's no word on when Ramirez will get the call.

Look at A.J. Burnett's game-by-game stats when you get a chance. Other than a 12-run stinkbomb against the Cardinals on May 2, he hasn't allowed more than two runs in a game, and he's inducing boatloads of ground balls. I think Burnett is worthy of standard mixed-league rosters (if you can't stream him, anyway). He's owned in 8.5 percent of FOXSports.com leagues.

Tim Lincecum gave up one run in seven innings last night, but the five walks mean there's still a dark cloud surrounding that silver lining. It wasn't a "He's back!" kind of start.

Cardinals 2B Skip Schumaker (hamstring) appears headed to the DL. The Cards and Brewers are having quite the injury competition in the NL Central.

There's a chance that the Nationals will activate Michael Morse in time for Friday's game. Check here tomorrow for an update.

Indians DH Travis Hafner will miss 4-6 weeks with a knee injury. The Tribe will use a mishmash of DHs in Hafner's absence.

Sorry for today's delayed post, folks. Technical difficulties and all that. There might be fewer links than usual.
***
Jarrod Parker’s six shutout innings on Tuesday raised our streaming starter record to 35-22 for the season. Tonight’s pick is Dillon Gee (owned in 3.9 percent of FOXSports.com leagues) against the Phillies, and we’re going to PASS on a Thursday selection due to a three-game schedule that leaves Colorado’s Jeremy Guthrie as the only low-ownership option. And if you think I’m recommending Jeremy Guthrie, you’re crazy.
On to the news:
Phillies’ ace Roy Halladay is expected to miss 6-8 weeks with a strained lat muscle. If you own Halladay, there’s no way to sugarcoat this one – it stinks. The Phillies’ website reports that Vance Worley is projected to return on Monday to take Halladay’s real-life rotation slot, while my colleague Ryan Fowler has some fantasy replacement suggestions.
Dustin Pedroia is trying to convince the Red Sox to play through his right thumb injury, but figure that they’ll take the prudent course and place him on the DL for a 2-4 week absence. If you own Pedroia, have a replacement on speed dial sometime today.
The Rangers have agreed to terms with SP Roy Oswalt, who will reportedly make his first appearance in Triple A this weekend. A mid-to-late June debut in Arlington is expected, and if the Rangers’ rotation stays healthy, there won’t be any room in it for Neftali Feliz when he returns this summer. Oswalt wasn't exactly great last season, and is moving to a tougher league and home park. Mixed leaguers shouldn't get too excited.
Angels’ ace Jered Weaver is on the DL due to a lower back strain. Weaver is hoping to miss just a couple of starts, but his timetable is TBD at this point.
Tigers OF Austin Jackson (abdominal strain) apparently won’t be ready to come off the DL on Friday. That means speedy Quintin Berry will have more time to make a good impression. The Tigers also sent 2B/OF Ryan Raburn to the minors.
Phillies C Carlos Ruiz sat again Tuesday with a hamstring strain, but might be able to return to the lineup today.
The Blue Jays have sent OF Eric Thames to the minors, and with Travis Snider currently rehabbing a wrist injury, Rajai Davis becomes the team’s everyday left fielder. Even though the Jays are hinting that Thames’ demotion will be short term, Davis (1.9 percent owned) is a fine source for fantasy free-agent stolen bases.
Cardinals 3B David Freese might get another day off today to rest his sore right wrist.
Giants 3B Pablo Sandoval appears on target to come off the DL in about two weeks.
Did you know that Giants OF Melky Cabrera has 50 hits this month?
Pirates’ manager Clint Hurdle said Tuesday that SS prospect Jordy Mercer was not called up from Triple A to take Clint Barmes’ job. Question for Hurdle: Why not?
Catcher Josh Thole is expected to come off the DL for the Mets on Friday.
Francisco Liriano returns to the Twins’ rotation today. What’s the appropriate response to this news? “All right!” Nope, that’s not it. “Finally!” Hmm, don’t think so. “%$#@! him and his 8.47 ERA!” Yep, that’s it.
Been waiting for Grady Sizemore to rejoin the Indians? Prepare to keep waiting, as his timetable is murky.
Reds 3B Todd Frazier saved a choking man’s life by using the Heimlich Maneuver in a Pittsburgh restaurant on Monday. Frazier is also acquitting himself well on the field, with five homers and a .950 OPS in 28 games this season. See how well-rounded a Rutgers University education can make you? R-U-Rah-Rah!
Even though James Russell got Tuesday’s save, manager Dale Sveum says that Casey Coleman could be in the mix to close games for the Cubs. Have I told you how stupid the saves category is in fantasy baseball? Picking closer names out of a hat is a better strategy than trying to draft them.
Freddie Freeman thinks his new sports glasses will arrive today. His manager isn’t so sure if they will, or exactly when he’ll be ready to play. Stay tuned for more news on this ridiculous situation.
Here’s a story on Kirk Gibson breaking his promise to fantasy owners to make Josh Bell the Diamondbacks’ everyday third baseman. He was talking to us when he said that, right?
There are four games on this afternoon’s schedule, with Royals-Indians getting things started at 12:05 p.m. ET. Set your lineups accordingly.
Did you miss yesterday’s chat? Here’s a transcript.
See you back here tomorrow morning.
Check out more Fantasy Baseball News and Notes.

Of the games I missed while enjoying the Memorial Day holiday, the Chris Sale-Matt Moore 25-strikeout battle tops the list. Wow.
***
Thanks for nothing, Phil Hughes. The righty's BP-level outing dropped our streaming starter record to 34-22 for the season. Today's selection is Jarrod Parker (owned in 3.1 percent of FOXSports.com leagues) against the Twins at Target Field, while Wednesday's pick is Dillon Gee (2.3 percent owned) against the Phillies. Gee's K/BB ratio and ground-ball rate suggest that his 4.92 ERA won't stay so high.
On to the news:
Another day, another Brewers' injury. Hot-hitting catcher Jonathan Lucroy will probably miss 4-6 weeks with a broken bone in his right hand. According to FOXSportsWisconsin.com, Lucroy "sustained the injury when his wife accidentally dropped a suitcase on his hand, while searching underneath his hotel bed for a lost sock." I think the Brewers sold their souls to the devil to make the playoffs last season, and are paying for it now with all these weird injuries. Look for George Kottaras to get a lot more playing time during Lucroy's absence, and look for the Brew Crew to trade Zack Greinke before the deadline, because they're not going anywhere.
(UPDATE: 12:25 P.M. ET): I was apparently pretty groggy this morning, because I left out the info on Jeff Weaver leaving Monday's game in the first inning due to a back injury. Weaver will be evaluated today.
Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia left last night's game with a jammed right thumb. The injury doesn't sound serious, but manager Bobby Valentine suggested that Pedroia won't be in the lineup today.
Phillies' ace - or is it co-ace? - Roy Halladay will have his injured shoulder examined today. If you own Halladay, there's nothing you can do except sit tight and wait for the results. Halladay's next scheduled start is Saturday.
After hitting two homers in two rehab games, OF Matt Kemp is expected to return to the Dodgers' lineup tonight. Start Kemp if you have him.
I'll make my weekly appearance in the FOXSports.com fantasy chat room today at 2 p.m. ET. Make sure to send your questions!
Manny Ramirez won't join the A's until Friday at the earliest. According to the A's website, Friday is also the day that OF Yoenis Cespedes is due to come off the DL. Do you think the A's are more excited about the good, young power hitter, or the 40-year-old who basically hasn't played in a year and a half?
Speaking of old DHs, the Rays have called up Hideki Matsui from Triple A. Unless you have an AL-only team in need of a part-time bat, don't bother with Godzilla.
This week's edition of Free Agent Frenzy is available for your reading pleasure. Check it out.
Braves 1B Freddie Freeman missed another game Monday while continuing to wait for his sports goggles to arrive. The mailman will determine if Freeman plays tonight, and we won't know his status until this afternoon.
Mark Reynolds had two hits in his return to the Orioles' lineup yesterday.
Carlos Marmol is off the DL for the Cubs. If either James Russell or Shawn Camp struggles in the closer's role, and Marmol can throw a strike on occasion, he might get his old job back.
Raise your hand if you started Rockies OF Dexter Fowler for Monday's doubleheader. He had a big day.
With Jack Hannahan on the DL, 3B Lonnie Chisenhall has been called up and will get the chance to play. Chisenhall might struggle because he isn't very selective, but he's got decent power potential. Count me as a skeptic.
Torii Hunter wasn't in the Angels' lineup last night, but might play tonight.
Mets' infielder Justin Turner will probably miss 2-3 weeks due to an ankle injury.
Brandon McCarthy is expected to come off the DL to start for the A's on Saturday.
Allen Craig is on track to come off the DL on Friday, and the Cardinals' website floated the possibility of Craig in right field, Carlos Beltran in center and Matt Adams at first base, at least until Jon Jay returns from the DL. That makes a lot of sense, except for the part about increasing Beltran's already-high injury risk.
Tigers OF Delmon Young has a court appearance scheduled today in New York, and the team isn't sure if he'll be back in time for tonight's game. I hope they keep all the Jewish people away from the front of the courthouse so Young doesn't get in any more trouble.
Blue Jays SS Yunel Escobar (groin) missed Monday's game and is still day-to-day.
Nationals C Jesus Flores (hamstring) hopes to avoid the DL, but his status is still up in the air.
In other Nats' news, OF Michael Morse will begin his rehab assignment today, and may be just a few days away from returning to the lineup.
See you back here tomorrow morning.
Check out more Fantasy Baseball News and Notes.

I'd like to thank all those members of the U.S. armed forces who have given their lives for our freedom. It's because of them that we're able to have elections instead of violent overthrows, disagree with anyone about issues large and small, and even write blog posts in our pajamas. Happy Memorial Day, everyone.

***

We got a terrific outing from A.J. Burnett on Friday, a blah performance from Felipe Paulino on Saturday, and a solid effort from Hector Noesi on Sunday. With the streaming starter record up to 34-21 for the season, today's selection is the surging Phil Hughes (owned in 11.8 percent of FOXSports.com leagues) against the Angels, while Tuesday's is Oakland rookie Jarrod Parker (1.8 percent owned) against the Twins. I don't love the Parker pick, but I didn't like the alternatives, either.

On to the news:

Been wondering why Roy Halladay has been pitching like a mere mortal lately? We may have a reason, as he left Sunday's start after two bad innings due to a sore shoulder. Halladay's condition will be re-evaluated early this week, and his status for Saturday's scheduled start is TBD. Your safe bet is to bench Halladay until we know his prognosis.

Dodgers OF Matt Kemp hit a home run in his latest rehab game on Sunday, and is expected to come off the DL in time for Tuesday's game against the Brewers. Get Kemp in your weekly league lineup.

Speaking of the Dodgers, SP Ted Lilly is headed to the DL with a shoulder injury, and will be replaced in the rotation on Tuesday by 22-year-old Nathan Eovaldi (3.09 ERA at Double A). Eovaldi might have a bright future, but he shouldn't be targeted now beyond NL-only leagues.

D-backs SP Daniel Hudson was OK in his return to the mound on Sunday.

Brandon League has been temporarily relieved of his closer duties for the Mariners. Manager Eric Wedge said that he'll use a matchup-based approach until League gets things straightened out, but if you're looking to speculate, hard-throwing Tom Wilhelmsen is the best option.

It sounds like the Padres are about to activate OF Carlos Quentin from the DL. I'd get Quentin into a weekly lineup if I had him.

Torii Hunter is back with the Angels, and his status for tonight's game will be determined following an afternoon workout. If Hunter isn't activated today, he probably will be tomorrow.

Remember when we thought Blue Jays' closer Sergio Santos would be back by now? Santos is still on the DL with his shoulder injury, hasn't thrown off a mound yet, and has an uncertain return timetable. He's at least a few weeks away.

In other Blue Jays' injury news, SS Yunel Escobar is day-to-day with a groin injury, and 2B Kelly Johnson (hamstring) hopes to play today after missing a couple of games over the weekend.

The Angels won three games over the weekend, with Scott Downs getting saves on Friday and Sunday, and Ernesto Frieri closing things out on Saturday. Frieri's K/BB ratio (41/12 in 22 2/3 innings) makes him really interesting.

Cardinals 1B/OF Allen Craig is expected to come off the DL sometime during the team's 10-day road trip. It can't be before Friday, though.

The A's will activate 3B Brandon Inge from the DL today. After going five-for-five with two homers and seven RBI in a Triple-A rehab game on Saturday, Inge is probably ready, right?

Manny Ramirez is eligible to join the A's on Wednesday, but the team hasn't committed to activating him yet. Ramirez is batting .214 with no homers and a .505 OPS in eight games at Triple A so far. While waiting for Ramirez to return, read this interesting feature about him.

There will be plenty of afternoon games today, while the Astros and Rockies have a doubleheader scheduled. Set your lineups accordingly.

White Sox SP John Danks (shoulder) hopes to come off the DL next week.

With Chien-Ming Wang set to start on Wednesday, the Nationals have sent lefty Ross Detwiler to the bullpen.

In other Nats' news, catcher Jesus Flores is day-to-day with a hamstring injury.

The Giants seem to think that 3B Pablo Sandoval (hand) is two weeks away from returning to the lineup.

What black cat ran in front of the Brewers' charter jet this spring? 1B Travis Ishikawa (oblique) is on the DL.

Indians SS Asdrubal Cabrera (hamstring) probably won't return to the lineup today, but he hopes to do so Tuesday or Wednesday. In other Tribe news, SP Josh Tomlin will come off the DL to start today, and the team website's beat writer tweeted this morning that 3B Lonnie Chisenhall was pulled from Sunday's Triple-A game. That's often the indication of an imminent promotion.

Jorge De La Rosa's latest rehab start wasn't so good. He's probably a few starts away from rejoining the Rockies.

With rookie Rafael Dolis out as the Cubs' closer, lefty James Russell appears to be next in line, though Shawn Camp might get a shot, too.

I hate the Red Sox as much as the next guy, but Clay Buchholz's strong Sunday outing was his second good one over his last three starts. That might not sound like much, but he's gotta start somewhere, right?

Brian McCann (flu) hopes to be back in the Braves' lineup today, while 1B Freddie Freeman is still waiting for his new prescription glasses to arrive. No, I'm not making that up. Keep Freeman out of your lineup until you know he can see clearly.

The Diamondbacks hope to get newly wealthy catcher Miguel Montero (groin) back in their lineup today.

The Giants and Padres combined for 25 runs yesterday. We probably had better odds of seeing a solar eclipse.

***

Philip Humber's rough outing dropped our streaming starter record to 32-20 for the season. For the weekend, we'll go with A.J. Burnett (owned in 5.8 percent of FOXSports.com leagues) against the Cubs today, Felipe Paulino (5 percent owned) at Baltimore on Saturday, and Hector Noesi (0.6 percent owned) against the Angels on Sunday. Noesi has been improving a bit lately, and I don't like the rest of Sunday's options.

On to the news:

I don't like dealing in small sample sizes, but White Sox OF Alex Rios homered for the second consecutive game last night, and has a 1.000 slugging percentage over his last four. His 2012 OPS (.747) isn't far off from his career mark (.756), and his .274 BA is about what it has always been. There's no reason why Rios can't return to the 15-homer, 15-steal level, and he's owned in just 11.2 percent of FOXSports.com leagues. It's very possible that I led off with Rios today because I've been waiting for him to start turning things around.

White Sox SP John Danks is on the DL with a sore shoulder. The team expects Danks to start again on June 5, so the injury apparently isn't serious.

The Braves are still struggling with some weird issues. 1B Freddie Freeman is having vision trouble due to dry eyes, and waiting for a pair of sports glasses that are expected to be delivered "before or during the homestand" that starts today, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Catcher Brian McCann missed another game Thursday due to a flu bug that seems to be getting worse. Also, 3B Chipper Jones has been sitting out with a bruised ankle that isn't improving. Try to wait for the Braves' lineup to be released tonight before starting any member of that trio.

As expected, the Tigers placed OF Austin Jackson on the DL with a strained abdominal muscle. His speedy replacement, Quintin Berry, stole two bases while you read that sentence.

Why did Logan Ondrusek get Thursday's save for the Reds? Probably because Aroldis Chapman pitched on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Reds' website game recap said that Ondrusek "handled the closer's role for the night."

Emilio Bonifacio's thumb injury is worse than originally thought, as he's expected to undergo thumb surgery today and miss another 4-6 weeks. Is it too much to ask for the Marlins to let Bonifacio pinch-run every day so he can keep racking up stolen bases for his fantasy owners?

Albert Pujols homered last night for the fourth time in nine games. I hope you came up empty when you tried to trade him early this month for an absurdly low return.

Cardinals 1B/OF Allen Craig (hamstring) took batting practice Thursday, and hopes to come off the DL when eligible on June 1. In weekly leagues, you should probably err on the safe side and keep Craig on the bench next week.

The Mariners sent OF Casper Wells to the minors to accommodate catcher Miguel Olivo's return from the DL. I had Wells pegged as an interesting AL-only sleeper this season. Oh, well.

Padres OF Carlos Quentin will begin another minor-league rehab assignment tonight. His timetable for returning to the lineup is TBD.

Here's an update on Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. The Phillies still have no idea when they'll come back.

Brewers SP Marco Estrada is on the DL with a quad strain, which he got while running the bases on Wednesday. Serves the Brewers right for moving to the National League in 1998.

Hey, AL-only owners: Have you been keeping an eye on Indians 3B Jose Lopez? He's got a 10-game hitting streak, and even though he might spend more time on the bench when Jack Hannahan returns, he still might be able to help you a little.

Let the trade deadline speculation begin! First up: The Chicago Cubs.

See you back here Monday morning. If I'm getting up at 5:30 a.m. on a holiday to write a blog post, you had damned well better get up to read it. Have a great weekend!

Remember Aroldis Chapman's speeding ticket from earlier this week? It turns out that he's gotten four of them in the last two years. Chapman is a really good pitcher, but maybe he should have defected from Cuba to become a NASCAR driver instead.

***

Carlos Zambrano got knocked around last night, dropping our streaming starter record to 32-19 for the season. Today's pick is Philip Humber (owned in 7 percent of FOXSports.com leagues) against the Twins, while Friday's is A.J. Burnett (4.5 percent owned) versus the Cubs. Burnett has allowed two or fewer runs in five of his six starts as a Pirate. Yes, I know he gave up 12 runs in the other start. Don't be a wet blanket, OK?

On to the news:

Tigers OF Austin Jackson missed another game Wednesday due to his abdominal injury, and the team is likely to decide by Friday if he needs a DL stint. Since Jackson has missed a week already, a DL stay could be backdated, leaving him eligible to return next week. Quintin Berry, who was called up to start in Jackson's place and led off last night, had 19 steals in 39 Triple-A games this season. If Jackson goes on the DL, Berry might be able to help AL-only owners for a handful of games.

What's that? Robin Ventura said Wednesday that Addison Reed is the White Sox' closer? I am shocked - shocked! - at this development.

Ernesto Frieri got the save in the Angels' 11th-inning win yesterday, and game recaps from both the Orange County Register and the Los Angeles Times hint that Frieri has become the team's de facto closer. Frieri has a crazy-high strikeout rate, with 37 whiffs in 20 1/3 innings this season, but it would be nice to see him get a traditional save sometime soon. I still suspect that the Angels would like to give the job back to Jordan Walden, who has nine consecutive scoreless appearances.

In other Angels' news, it sounds like OF Torii Hunter will rejoin the team next week.

Braves' catcher Brian McCann missed his second straight game on Wednesday due to flu-like symptoms. His status for tonight is TBD.

The Nationals hope that OF Michael Morse will return before his June 8 target date. Morse is still available in 27.3 percent of FOXSports.com leagues, so see if you can grab him.

Manny Ramirez, who went hitless in his latest Triple-A rehab game on Wednesday, might not join the A's on May 30 after all.

Brewers SP Marco Estrada pitched only one inning last night because he injured a hip flexor while running the bases on a first-inning double. Can someone remind me why I should pay to see pitchers hit?

Diamondbacks' pitching prospect Trevor Bauer struggled in his latest Triple-A start, walking five batters in five innings. Let this serve as a reminder that, whenever Bauer gets called up to the big leagues, there are likely to be bumps in the road before he becomes a stud.

Adrian Gonzalez started in right field again yesterday, but Bobby Valentine doesn't sound eager to play him there when the Red Sox return to Fenway Park this weekend. Will Middlebrooks owners, take note.

Astros OF Jordan Schafer missed Wednesday's game after having a toenail removed, but they're hoping he can play Friday.

Indians 3B Jack Hannahan will probably return to the lineup this weekend.

Cole De Vries will make his first major-league start tonight for the Twins. De Vries, P.J. Walters, Scott Diamond ... why are the Twins making me work so hard by letting all these no-name guys start? Anyway, you don't need to bother with De Vries.

This article on the Padres' website makes me think that closer Huston Street is less than two weeks away from coming off the DL.

Catcher Miguel Olivo is a few days from returning to the Mariners, and one possible roster move for them could be to cut Chone Figgins.

Cardinals 1B/3B Matt Carpenter (oblique) is on the DL. Remember when they had too many players to fit into the lineup?

I love that the Rays batted Carlos Pena leadoff and Drew Sutton cleanup last night. Sutton is eligible at shortstop in FOXSports.com leagues, and is an interesting AL-only pickup.

Blue Jays 2B Kelly Johnson is day-to-day after leaving Wednesday's game with hamstring tightness. The Jays' website notes that Johnson has had nagging leg issues this season, so we'll need to keep a close eye on him.

Have you listened to this week's edition of the Fantasy 15 podcast, with Joel Beall, Mike Harmon and me? You really should. Like, right now.

***

Another start, another quality start for R.A. Dickey, who whiffed 11 batters in seven innings and raised our streaming starter record to 32-18 on the season. Tonight's selection is Carlos Zambrano (owned in 37.8 percent of FOXSports.com leagues) against the Rockies, with Thursday's pick being Philip Humber (3.6 percent owned) against the Twins. Humber has been solid in his last two starts after a brief post-perfect game slump.

On to the news:

Nationals manager Davey Johnson has decided that the team will use a closer-by-committee approach, and Tyler Clippard got the group's first save last night. You may remember Clippard as the pitcher whose name was omitted from yesterday's blog entry, which mentioned Sean Burnett and Craig Stammen as candidates to close for the Nats. That was a brainfart on my part, since Clippard is pretty good. The only thing we can safely predict about this committee is that Burnett will get chances against good lefty hitters. Beyond that, remember that Drew Storen is apparently only a few weeks away from returning. Don't get too attached to the new triumvirate, and feel free to cut Henry Rodriguez in mixed formats.

Diamondbacks catcher Miguel Montero will be out until at least Friday due to a groin injury. The team doesn't want to put Montero on the DL, but that doesn't mean it won't happen. Stay tuned.

Kevin Youkilis hit a home run in his return to the Red Sox lineup last night, starting at first base while rookie Will Middlebrooks played third and Adrian Gonzalez was in right field. Desperate times call for desperate measures, right? Heck, this team even called up Scott Podsednik yesterday.

Ubaldo Jimenez won a game last night, which would have been nicer if he hadn't given up three runs and six walks in six innings. For the season, Jimenez has a 5.02 ERA, a 1.71 WHIP, and 30 strikeouts against 38 walks in 52 innings. When you cut him, try to resist the urge to say, "But it's Ubaldo Jimenez! I can't cut him!" Yes, you can. He's horrible.

Nats 3B Ryan Zimmerman was scratched last night due to shoulder soreness, but is expected to play tonight.

Irving Falu and Johnny Giavotella will platoon at second base for the Royals while Chris Getz (ribcage) is on the DL. Giavotella will be busier, since he'll face lefties. Giavotella is a better hitter, but Falu has some speed (21 SB at Triple A last season).

Orioles 2B Brian Roberts, who hasn't played in a major-league game since May 16, 2011, due to concussion-related issues, will begin a minor-league rehab assignment tonight. Roberts' maximum stay in the minors is 20 days, so you can expect to see him in Baltimore during the week of June 11 barring any setbacks. Let's see how Roberts hits before figuring out a fantasy strategy.

Did you buy low on Adam Wainwright? After last night's shutout, it might be too late.

Rockies' infielder Jonathan Herrera is headed to the DL with a hamstring injury.

We've got six afternoon games on today's schedule, with Red Sox-Orioles and Mets-Pirates leading things off at 12:35 p.m. ET. Set your lineups accordingly.

In Phillies' news, SS Jimmy Rollins (paternity leave) isn't expected to play today, and SP Vance Worley won't need Tommy John surgery, if you were worried about that (he has bone chips in his elbow). Worley's timetable to return from the DL is still unclear.

Padres 3B Chase Headley missed Tuesday's game due to a "lower back issue." His status for today is TBD.

In other Padres' news, here's a non-update on Huston Street. He seems to be moving along in his rehab.

Hector Noesi ... hmm.

Cardinals' infielder Matt Carpenter left Tuesday's game with an injury to his right side, but it doesn't sound serious.

The Toronto Star thinks that June 25 is the target date for Vladimir Guerrero's debut with the Blue Jays. Zzz ...

New Reds closer Aroldis Chapman was arrested early Monday for driving 93 mph with a suspended license. I'd make a joke about Chapman's driving speed being slower than his pitching velocity, but approximately 8,794 people on Twitter have already beaten me to it.

***

Erik Bedard wasn't so good for us last night, dropping the streaming starter record to 31-18. Today's pick is quality start machine R.A. Dickey (owned in 27.2 percent of FOXSports.com leagues), while Wednesday's is Carlos Zambrano (33.7 percent owned) against the Rockies.

On to the news:

After giving up a run on a four-pitch walk, a hit and two wild pitches, Nationals closer Henry Rodriguez was yanked during the ninth inning last night. Sean Burnett finished up for the save, and after the game manager Davey Johnson said he would "look at alternatives" for Rodriguez. Two Nats beat writers tweeted that Johnson might consider a closer committee - Burnett and Craig Stammen would be in the mix - but the team's website reports that Drew Storen could be back in three weeks. Taking a flier on Burnett or Stammen isn't a bad idea right now, as long as you don't count on them as more than part-time, short-term solutions. Maybe Johnson will help us today by announcing that he's settling on one guy.

Cardinals 1B Lance Berkman will have knee surgery later this week, but the team isn't yet sure if it will be a season-ender or one that will keep him out 6-8 weeks. Berkman seems to think he has a torn ACL that will end his season, and if you own him, don't be stubborn about keeping him unless you have bench/DL space that you're not using. We should have a verdict on Berkman's status by the weekend.

Look for a Matt Adams/Allen Craig first-base platoon in St. Louis when Craig comes off the DL, with Craig also getting as much time in the outfield corners as Carlos Beltran's health warrants. Even though Adams hits left-handed, I suspect that Craig will hit enough to play most days, leaving Adams in danger of a demotion before too long.

Rangers SP Neftali Feliz will miss at least six weeks due to a sprained elbow ligament. The Rangers are considering multiple candidates to replace Feliz in their rotation, but Alexi Ogando is the most intriguing. Remember how good he was for much of last season?

Dodgers OF Matt Kemp (hamstring) is targeting a May 29 return from the DL.

The Diamondbacks have called up 3B Josh Bell, and will give him the chance to play. I saw Bell hit two homers in a Triple-A game a couple of years ago, but that doesn't mean I'm not skeptical of his 1.047 OPS at Reno prior to his promotion. Look at Bell in NL-only leagues, and maybe some deep mixed formats if you're desperate, but remember that the Orioles thought so little of him that they traded him in April for a player to be named later. Bell's arrival in the desert means that Ryan Roberts will fill a utility role for now.

The Arizona Republic story linked to in the previous bullet also notes that SP Daniel Hudson will probably come off the DL this weekend.

D-backs, Part 3: Catcher Miguel Montero is day-to-day after suffering a groin injury on Monday.

Red Sox OF Cody Ross could miss 6-8 weeks due to a fractured bone in his foot. The cavalry isn't coming anytime soon for the Sox, as the Boston Globe reports that Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford aren't expected back until July. At least they're getting Kevin Youkilis back tonight.

Manny Ramirez is in the midst of a rehab assignment, and will be eligible to join the A's roster on May 30, which happens to be his 40th birthday. We'll have more on Manny's fantasy prospects in this space later in the week.

Blue Jays closer Sergio Santos is still three weeks or more away from returning? Come on!

Royals SP Felipe Paulino, who shut out the Yankees for six-and-two-thirds innings last night, is still owned in just 3.1 percent of FOXSports.com leagues. Friend of the blog Jason Collette tweeted this link last night to Paulino's stats before and after his trade to the Royals last season. The differences are pretty striking. What are you waiting for, people? Go get Paulino!

Angels OF Vernon Wells will have surgery on his thumb, and won't even resume "baseball activities" for 8-10 weeks, according to the Orange County Register. That means Wells probably won't be back until August, and since he was terrible when healthy, you don't need to hold on to him.

Royals 2B Chris Getz left Monday's game after re-aggravating a rib injury. We should know more about his status today.

Remember Brian Roberts? The Orioles' second baseman might begin a minor-league rehab assignment within a week.

Braves 3B Chipper Jones has missed three straight games, and is day-to-day with a bruised ankle.